


The lost photo

by Lizzy_Lizard



Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: 3 places, 3 storylines, F/M, Fluff and Angst, It's going to be good, My First Work in This Fandom, NYC, Russia, They all come together though, and Paris
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-08 02:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14095077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzy_Lizard/pseuds/Lizzy_Lizard
Summary: Celia stroked the small photograph with her thumb. The Dowager Empress, in her long gown. The girl next to her, smiling. "This could have been me," she mumbled.Allan put a hand on his wife's shoulder, and took the photo away from her. "That doesn't matter love, he stated. Let's just get this picture to your friend and collect the money."Celia nodded and took her husband's arm, then walked out of the shop. She sighed and whispered to herself, "I'm sure this will be over soon."





	1. 1. A broken wish

**Author's Note:**

> So this story stems from the scene right before Anya chooses Dimitri. She takes a photo with the Dowager, while she is in the fancy red dress. This story is about what would happen if someone found that picture.

The whistle of the train blew and hissed. They were almost there. Celia and Allan had been on the train for hours. They had taken a boat from America to Spain, and then traveled the rest of the way by train. It had been nearly a month long journey, and both of them were quite ready to finally set foot in Paris. When they got off the train Celia took Allan's hand and he could feel it shaking just a bit. They had spent nearly all of their money trying to get to Paris, so she had the right to be nervous.

They made it to a charming square with a few small cafés and clothing stores. Allan gestured his wife to sit down on a bench and he sat down next to her. "It's going to be alright love," he assured stroking her platinum blonde hair. "There's no way the Dowager won't chose you!" 

Although he was just as nervous as she was, he did believe what he said. Before they were married, Celia had been an actress in New York City. That was how he met her. He saw her on the stage, olive green eyes gleaming in the light. Her hair had been tied up in an exquisite style, and her dress glittered. She sang and acted like no person before her had ever done, and Allan knew she was the one for him. For her, seeing a shabby wanna be musician show up after the show asking her if she wanted to get lunch was both parts creepy and flattering, but she said yes. Even with all that had happened to them after that, Celia didn't regret it.

"What was the horses name?" Allan asked glancing at his wife. 

"Romeo," she mumbled.

"Perfect!" He shouted, a bit too enthusiasticly. "See Celia, you have this down. Besides you are an actress, you'll have the Dowager convinced!"

"I hope," she muttered back. 

Allan sighed. His wife hadn't been her usual self for a long time. Getting her to pose as Anastasia had been a difficult enough task, but getting the Dowager to believe it would be even worse. "Celia, we need this, you know that." She nodded but didn't say a word. Allan continued, "You just need to-"

Allan was interrupted as a chubby red haired girl passed them talking to a tall thin man with the same fiery locks she had. "I can't believe she wouldn't even look at me at all!" The girl ranted, "I mean, I had that Anastasia stuff down!"

A jolt of fear went through Allan. "Excuse me miss, I don't want to intrude, but what were you saying about... Anastasia?"

The girl looked at him for a second, surprised at his question, then answered as if it was nothing. "The Dowager Empress says that she isn't going to be seeing anymore Anastasias! The dumb old lady doesn't know a thing if you ask me!" 

With that the girl walked away. Something inside Allan dropped and pounded like a rock in his stomach. When he sat back down next to Celia she looked at him for a second then tears welled up in her beautiful green eyes. Seeing her cry, made Allan want to cry as well but he had never been one to shed a tear. Before he knew it he was holding his wife and desperately trying to comfort her. 

"I'm sorry Celia, he mumbled, "I really hoped this would work." Despite his best efforts, she continued to cry into his chest. 

He knew the reason why. When they fell in love, her father said that if they married she would be banned from performing in his theatre. She tried auditioning for other shows, but when word got around that she had been kicked out of her father's own theatre, she got a bad name. Allan had struggled to get a good job, and when their first child was born, they were forced to put him up for adoption. It was the most difficult decision they had ever made.

When Allan found out that the Dowager Empress was looking for her long lost granddaughter Anastasia, he hoped that they might be able to get the money they needed. Now yet another complication had happened, and they were stuck in France with nothing but two suitcases full of the few scrappy things they owned.

"I promise Celia, we'll find a way to get money," Allan tried to assure. Celia squeezed him, tighter as he muttered, "Whatever it takes."

As they hugged on the bench, a happy looking couple passed, the woman had blonde hair and shining blue eyes. The man had hair that flopped over his face, and he laughed at a comment the woman made.

"I can't wait to see Nana!" The woman cheerfully announced, "We've only been gone three weeks but it feels like forever!"


	2. A careful lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm really excited about this story, and I'm hoping you guys are liking it so far. This is only my second fanatic, and my first was kind of a joke I put up for a dare. Please comment and tell me what you think, and if you like my original characters. Kudos are very much appreciated. Also, I don't really know very well how communist Russia worked at this time, so bear with me.

One year later...

 

"Gleb Vaganov!" A large Russian soldier stood by the door. 

Gleb felt so small around the man. "Yes comrade?" Gleb mumbled.

The large man gestured to a door nearby, "Please come into my office, we need to talk."

Gleb swallowed hard and walked in. He wasn't usually this nervous, but he could tell from the large officer's face that he was in trouble. As he sat down on a black chair, and his boss sat in front of him.

"So Comrade Vaganov," the officer began, "A little over a year ago we sent you on an assignment to see if a certain girl was the daughter of the Czar." 

Gelb froze, unable to move or think. The officer continued, "You confirmed that she was not, however we have evidence, that you might have been mistaken." Gelb nodded, and tried to look as casual as possible. This was a nightmare. At this rate, he was sure that they would figure out what Gleb had done. Lied. He lied to the officers, he lied to Russia, he lied to the world. Very few people knew about Anya, knew her secret. The lies Gleb had told protected Anya. They shielded her from a world that would have destroyed her. Gelb sighed, he felt like someone had spied on his every thought. Gelb believed in the good of Russia. He believed that executing the Czar and his family was necessary. But he didn't believe that killing Anya would matter. It had been a year since she had found out that she was the princess, and nothing had happened yet. Gelb had doubted that anything would happen, but now it seemed that something might.

The officer continued to speak, "A French photographer for the press came here to visit his cousin a few weeks ago," the man paused looking through a stack of papers. The cousin said that he found a mysterious photograph hidden in the bottom of a box full of the man's pictures." 

Gelb swallowed hard, he didn't know where this was going, but he didn't like it. "We believe it might be of the girl who claimed to be the Grand Duchess."

"May I see the photo?" Gelb managed to mumble. 

The officer glared, at him with a predator-like stare. He cleared his throat and looked back down at his papers. "Unfortunately we do not have the picture. That is why we called you in. Your new assignment is to find this photo and see if it is a match to the girl." 

Gelb let out a sigh of relief. If they didn't have this picture then there was a more likely chance that he wouldn't get caught for lying. "Yes sir," he responded and left the office.


	3. A Strange Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope everyone's liking this so far. I'm so excited to finally be writing a chapter with all of our favorite characters! This chapter is kind of a lot of fluff, but it's good all the same. Hope you enjoy! Please comment and leave kudos!

Anya and Dimitri visited the Dowager once every month. It was always typical when they got there for Dimitri and Vladimir to go running off into the kitchen to pack in food, and talk. Anya would be left to spend time with her grandmother which always pleased her.

"So Anastasia, how are things?" The Dowager asked as her granddaughter took off her coat. 

"Oh just wonderful!" Anya responded, handing a coat to a maid. "Dima and I are doing great, and..." Anya suddenly paused, remembering why she came. "We also have some news, but we'll wait to share it." The smile across her lips almost faded.

The Dowager have her a look that only a grandmother could give. "Are you pregnant?" 

Anya laughed, "No!" She yelled, "No Nana."

Her grandmother looked almost disappointed. They strolled into the living room, and the Dowager stated to Anya, "You know Anastasia, you have been married for a year. I would so like to have a great grandchild."

Tanya sighed, and almost laughed. "You will Nana," Anya reassured, "Just not yet." 

Soon after that two men came running into the room. First came Vladimir, running as fast as he could. His jacket flapped around him as he laughed wildly. In his hands was Dimitri's hat. Then came Dimitri, yelling at the older, fatter man, "Give it back!" 

The Dowager scowled and Anya tried hard to suppress a giggle. From upstairs a voice could be heard yelling. "Shut up Vlad, I can hear you from up here!"

Vlad stopped and yelled back up the stairs, "Oh come now Lily, we were just having a little fun!"

The Dowager cut in. "Fun, should not sound like a pack of ravid hyenas tearing through my house, now get out!" Dimitri and Vlad looked at each other with frightened faces for a second, before running out into another room.

Lily walked down the stairs with a slightly amused, yet also annoyed scowl on her face. "I swear, if Vlad weren't such a charmer I would have killed him by now."

Tanya laughed, and smiled at Lily. She hadn't gotten to know her very well when she had first come to Paris, but after a year, Lily had become like a hilarious dramatic aunt. When it came down to it everyone in the house felt like Anya's family. Of course, she had her Nana, and her wonderful husband, but Lily and Vlad felt just as much like family as Dimitri and her grandmother did.

That night they a sat together during dinner. The Dowager at the head of the table, Anya and Dimitri on one side, and Vladimir and Lily on the other. "Pass the bread," Vlad stated, putting his hand up in the air as if he were a child in a classroom. 

Lily scoffed at him. "You've already had three helpings!" She whispered putting a hand on his shoulder.

"And?" Was the only response she got.

The Dowager shot Vladimir a disapproving stare. Anya cleared her throat, "I almost forgot to tell you all, Dima and I have some news." Vlad and Lily perked up. "I'm not pregnant," Anya sighed. They day back in their seats. Actually we were thinking of moving to America." 

There was a shocked silence as everyone at the table processed what Anya had said. Dimitri gave her a worried glance. 

The Dowager took a breath, "Why on earth would you want to go to America?" 

Anya looked worriedly at her grandmother. "Well," she stated, "It will be an adventure!"

Lily laughed, "I think you've had enough of that young lady!"

Anya and Dimitri laughed along, but when the night fell, Vladimir and Lily left leaving them to face the Dowager.

"So Anastasia, what is the real reason you wish to move so far away?"

Anya tried to get around the question, "We'll make sure to visit at least once a year Nana," she responded.

"Anastasia," came the grandmother's response but Dimitri came to his wife's rescue just in time. "Excuse us, but Anya is pretty tired, so maybe it would be best if we discussed this in the morning." 

The Dowager pursed her lips, but nodded. "Alright, goodnight both of you." With that Anya and Dimitri went down the hallway to the guest room.

That night Dimitri woke up to Anya getting out of bed to go to the window. "Anya," he mumbled. He heard her shuffle a response but couldn't make out the words. "Anya did you have that nightmare again?" He slowly got out of bed and walked to the window. She quickly turned around and cried, "I can't shake the feeling that someone is going to come after me Dima!" 

He stoked her hair, "But they won't get you, I promise." He stated, "Whatever your family is trying to tell you through those dreams, we'll follow." 

She nodded but still cried. "And Anya," Dimitri continued, "Anya look at me," he stroked his thumb over her cheekbone, and saw her eyes meet his, "I'll protect you at all costs."


End file.
